Phoenix Rising
by CaptainSwanLuver
Summary: Emma returns to Phoenix, Arizona with Killian on a trip, but things do not go as planned.(Written for the CS Hiatus Challenge on Tumblr.)


**Title** : Phoenix Rising

 **Author** : Steph aka CaptainSwanLuver

 **Rating** : G

 **Pairing** : Killian/Emma

 **Characters** : Killian, Emma

 **Category** : Romance/Drama

 **Summary** : Emma returns to Phoenix, Arizona with Killian on a trip, but things do not go as planned.(Written for the CS Hiatus Challenge on Tumblr.)

 **Note** : This was written for the place prompt Phoenix, Arizona for the CS Hiatus Challenge on Tumblr. Hope you enjoy it! ~Steph

 **...Phoenix Rising: Part 1/1…**

Killian wiped at his brow with the back of his hand as he glanced over at Emma, whose focus was on the road.

"Swan, tell me again why you insisted we come to this infernal place?"

Emma shrugged sadly, her eyes remaining on the road. "Phoenix is where I served time in prison for stealing watches. It's where I gave birth to Henry and then gave him up. And then I jumped bail after I got arrested for stealing from some convenience stores."

Killian's gaze scanned her face. "Those are some terrible memories. I'm afraid I don't understand why you would want to return here."

A slow smile slipped across her lips, as she met his eyes. "I want to replace the bad memories of this place with good ones. Ones we create together."

Killian smiled gently at her. "That's a lovely thought."

"I've always thought it was a beautiful place," she said.

Killian's eyes roamed the desert landscape. "I suppose." He tapped his Hook against the dashboard where the temperature was located. "I can tell you it's a bloody hot place. It's 112 degrees today."

"It's a dry heat," she replied.

"Tell that to my body, which is currently drenched in perspiration."

Emma glanced at him and arched an eyebrow. His hair was damp and plastered to his forehead. Beads of sweat coated his skin. Somehow, he still looked gorgeous though.

"Well, you are wearing like three layers of clothes. I really don't think a leather jacket is necessary. And maybe you should invest in some shorts."

Killian looked down at his black jeans. "Shorts? You can't possibly be serious, Swan."

She shrugged. "Fine, then suffer."

He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "I'm starting to miss the firepit of the Underworld. It was a bit cooler."

Emma chuckled. "I think you're going to like Phoenix if you give it a chance."

His lips gave way to a smile, his eyes sweeping across her face. "Anything for you, love. I'm just glad that we have this time to spend together. It's rather nice to steal away and relax. No villains or curses to concern ourselves with. Just you and me. And you know I'd follow you anywhere."

Emma reached over and squeezed his hook, as she met his eyes. "Me too."

Emma returned her gaze to the road, but her eyes narrowed at what she spotted ahead. Killian's mouth dropped open as he followed her gaze.

"What in bloody hell is that?"

A huge dust cloud loomed in front of them.

"A dust storm," Emma said. "I've heard these can occur here during monsoon season."

"It looks like a curse being cast. Are you certain a villain didn't follow us here?"

"I'm sure," she replied with a small smile.

"Emma, I think you should pull over," he said, his eyes widening as the huge wall of dust approached them.

Emma looked at the narrow roadway they were now on. It didn't have a shoulder. If she stopped, she would be in the middle of the road and a car coming could slam right into them if the visibility became too low.

"I can't. There's no shoulder."

"Love, I really think-..."

Just then, the dust cloud engulfed their rental car. The gusts of wind shook the car, as debris flew around them, hitting the windshield.

Emma slowed the car to a crawl, hoping to make it safely through the dust cloud. She had read they usually last only a few minutes.

"This is bloody ridiculous," Killian said as the brown cloud continued to surround them and debris pelted the windows.

Emma continued on at a steady pace, her breath caught in her chest as she drove. Relief washed over her as the visibility ahead finally improved.

"I think we're almost in the clear," she said.

She drove a few hundred more yards and the cloud all but disappeared. She blew out a breath and looked at Killian.

"Crisis averted," she said.

Killian sighed heavily. "Emma, are you sure this is a holiday we're on? Between the scorching temperature and the dust storm, I'm beginning to wonder what realm we've entered and what disaster awaits us next."

Emma laughed. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."

Killian quirked an eyebrow but remained silent.

...

The following day, Emma and Killian visited the desert botanical garden.

"Everything is so beautiful," Emma said, as she looked at the plants in awe.

Killian slipped his hand in hers and smiled. "Pales in comparison to you, love."

Emma tilted her head as she looked up at him. "You always know exactly the right thing to say, don't you?"

"It's a gift," he replied with a lopsided grin.

They strolled through the rest of the garden hand-in-hand, enjoying the peace and quiet. Then they headed back to their car.

"I'm famished. Let's have lunch," Killian suggested.

"Great idea," Emma said, as they reached their rental.

They got inside and began the drive in search of a place to eat. As they drove, they noticed the sky begin to darken ahead.

"A storm is brewing," Killian said.

Emma nodded and drove on, knowing that thunderstorms were common during the monsoon season in Phoenix.

Soon, the rain started to come down in sheets, as the wind whipped around them. Emma concentrated on the road ahead of her, realizing that they were entering a narrow road with a mountain on one side and a river on the other. Killian looked at the river worriedly, noticing it was dangerously high from the days of rain the area had already experienced.

"Bloody hell," Killian suddenly said as he saw the road ahead of them had been washed out.

Emma slammed on the breaks, but it was too late. The water from the river came spilling onto the road where their car was stopped. It hit the car with such force that it shook it back and forth. Soon, the car was sitting in a foot of water that was steadily rising. Emma knew any attempt to move would be fruitless.

Killian licked at his lips anxiously. "Love, I think you may want to consider using your magic to transport us someplace safe."

Emma chewed on her lower lip. "Yeah, about my magic."

"What of it?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"It's currently not working," she replied softly, not meeting his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked in concern.

Emma winced. "Hyde injected me with a serum that stole my magic."

Killian's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emma shrugged and finally met his eyes. "We had already planned this trip and I didn't want you to worry. Regina is working on something to restore my powers. I'm sure they will be back in no time at all."

Killian reached out and cupped her face in his hand. "Hey, you don't need to protect me. When you love someone you worry about them. It comes with the territory."

"And so does trying to protect the person you love. You've been through so much, Killian. We've been through so much. I didn't want to ruin our trip. This trip was supposed to be about us spending time together and enjoying each other. Creating happy memories. It was supposed to be stress free."

Killian chuckled as he gestured around them. "Best laid plans."

Emma dropped her head on the steering wheel and squeezed her eyes closed. "Maybe we're just doomed. Maybe this place and I are just not meant to be. I mean, we're in Arizona, not the Underworld or Camelot or some other realm fraught with danger. And yet trouble still finds me...finds us."

Killian reached over and stroked her hair. "Things aren't the same as they were when you were here as a young lass. You're not the same. And you're not alone anymore. We always come out on the other side, Emma. We keep our wits about us and work together."

Emma smiled as she lifted her head and met his gaze. "You're right."

Killian nodded. "I refuse to allow Phoenix to defeat us. We survived the Underworld. We can bloody well survive this place."

Emma laughed softly as she pulled her phone out. "I think we are going to require some help though. We need some heroes, just not the ones we're used to."

Emma dialed 911. "Hi, my boyfriend and I are currently stuck in our car on a flooded road. We need-..."

Emma heard the operator sigh as she cut her off. "Tourists, right?"

"Well, yes, but-..."

"And I suppose you didn't see the Do Not Cross When Flooded sign?"

Emma looked at Killian. "I didn't see a sign and the road just washed out before we knew what was happening."

The operator sighed again. "I've got your exact location. Fire and rescue will arrive soon."

"Thank you," Emma said, but she'd already hung up.

She looked at Killian. "Well, she isn't winning any awards for friendliness."

Killian laughed, but his expression quickly grew serious as the water continued to rise around them.

...

Twenty minutes later, Emma and Killian could see lights flashing behind them. Before long, a rescue boat appeared in the rearview mirror. The boat came up alongside the driver side. One of the rescuers took a hammer to the window in the back and it shattered.

He stuck his head in. "Okay, climb to the back and come through the window.

Killian offered Emma his hand to help her climb to the backseat. She then went through the window and into the boat. Killian followed soon after.

They felt their cheeks fill red with embarrassment as they sat in the boat and stared at their submerged car. The heroes had to be saved.

"Thank you," Emma said softly.

"You're welcome," the rescuer said. "No need to be embarrassed though. Happens all the time during monsoon season. And to many Arizona citizens who should know better."

His partner let out a scoff. "Anyone with a brain should know not to travel this road during monsoon season. You guys are lucky you don't get fined by the Stupid Motorist Law."

Emma and Killian exchanged a look.

"And what would that be exactly?" Killian asked.

"It was passed as a deterrent for people trying to cross flooded roads. The motorists can be liable for the cost of the rescue and up to a $2,000 fine."

Emma and Killian's eyes widened. Emma swallowed hard. "But you don't think we will be fined, do you?"

His partner shook his head. "Nah, you're a tourist. You'll be fine."

Emma and Killian breathed a sigh of relief. Killian licked at his lips anxiously, as he glanced back at their rental.

"Love, this may be a bad time to bring this up, but I think we should have gotten the rental insurance."

Emma's eyes narrowed at him. "You said and I quote, 'Insurance companies are this realm's equivalent of pirates. Out to steal your riches'."

Killian smiled sheepishly. "I may have been mistaken."

...

Emma emerged from the hotel bathroom freshly showered. She found Killian lying on the bed, his eyes sweeping across her robe clad body appreciatively.

"Come here, love," he said, patting the bed beside him.

Emma smiled and crawled into bed facing him. He brought his hand up to caress her cheek and then placed a kiss to her lips.

He pulled back and met her eyes. "I know this holiday isn't how you hoped it would be, but I am enjoying the time we get to spend together just the two of us."

"So am I," Emma said with a smile.

"We aren't doomed, love. Trouble just has a way of finding us."

Emma laughed as she snuggled up close to him, placing her head below his chin. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she said.

"And I know we have a great many wonderful adventures ahead of us."

"There isn't anyone else I'd rather go on an adventure with," she said.

He placed a kiss to her hair and smiled.

...

Two blessedly uneventful days later, Emma and Killian sat in the airport waiting for their flight home.

"I chose Phoenix for another reason," Emma said, turning to him.

Killian's brow rose. "What's that?"

"This city is named after the mythical Phoenix bird that rose from the ashes. Phoenix used to be inhabited by the Hohokam people. They created miles of canals to make the desert capable of farming. But it's believed that droughts and floods eventually caused them to abandon the area. Years later, a man named Jack Swilling passed through the area and saw a potential for farming. He formed a community and suggested Phoenix as a name because it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. He saw that this place could rise up again, just like the Phoenix."

Killian nodded. "That's interesting, but why did it compel you to bring us here?"

Emma met his eyes, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. "We're like the Phoenix, Killian. We're survivors. I survived my life here to find my family, to find you, to become the savior. And you rose from the dead to come back to me. I thought this would be the perfect place to begin our second chance at our happy ending."

A grin overtook his face, as he leaned forward to place a kiss to her lips.

"It was a brilliant thought, love."

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Phoenix doesn't seem to like us much. I wanted to make new happy memories to replace the bad ones, but I'm not sure I succeeded."

He nodded. "You did. We're together, Emma, and that's all that matters." He arched an eyebrow. "I think Phoenix knows where survivors. It knows we can handle any challenge that comes our way."

Emma nodded. "You're right. We're so used to fighting the problems of the fairytale world, but these past few days we were faced with real world problems. And we came out on the other side."

"Aye," he said, linking their fingers together. "We always will."

Emma smiled contently. She finally knew what it was like to have someone stand by her side no matter what. Emma had once been scared of the future, but now she knew that with Killian by her side there was nothing to fear. She was so grateful that they had been given a second chance at a future together.

Killian cocked his head to side as he looked at her. "But perhaps we can choose a different location for our next holiday."

Emma laughed as she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Deal," she said.

...THE END…...

Thanks for reading! I'd appreciate any feedback you'd like to give! ~Steph


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